This invention relates generally to containers for holding and passing sterile fluids or biological materials. More particularly the invention relates to a tamperproof sterile port cover for a rigid port tube which extends from a biological storage container.
At the present time there are numerous medical and scientific practices which require the sterile storage and transfer of fluids or other biological materials from one container to another. To facilitate sterile transfer, port tubes, such as those discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,968,195, are often utilized. Though these tubes are hereinafter characterized as "rigid", that term, as used herein, should not be construed synonymously with "brittle", but is intended to describe a structure having sufficient stiffness to maintain its shape under its own weight.
Various means have been utilized to cover port tubes to maintain the sterility of the unit. For example, removable caps, such as those depicted in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 3,968,195, are often used. While these have proven generally adequate when the storage units are maintained in a sterile environment, serious drawbacks are evident when this is not the case. These caps are conventionally resealable, so it is impossible to determine whether any particular port has been continuously covered, and thus whether the sterility has been maintained. A second disadvantage is that the storage caps must be manufactured separately from the remainder of the storage unit. This factor will often increase the cost of the storage unit.
The first of these disadvantages, i.e., tamperability, has been remedied by the provision of a cover strip which extends around the tube as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,583,460. To open the port tube, the strip is peeled away. This cover is tamperproof but since the cover strip is manufactured separately from the remainder of the unit, the costs of manufacture and affixation to the port tube may be unreasonably high.